Hardenbergia Violacea Plant Named &#39;HB2&#39;

ABSTRACT

‘HB2’ is a distinctive variety of  Hardenbergia violacea  which is characterized by a dense and compact shrub habit, a short plant height and small, ovate foliage.

Latin name of the genus and species: The Latin name of the genus andspecies of the novel variety disclosed herein is Hardenbergia violacea.

Variety denomination: The inventive variety of Hardenbergia violaceadisclosed herein has been given the variety denomination ‘HB2’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Hardenbergia violacea is a flowering vine or subshrub native toAustralia which belongs to the pea family, Fabaceae. Flowers are typicalof the pea family and range in color from white to violet to pink.Foliage is usually dark green and leathery. Hardenbergia can be found inproduction throughout Australia and the United States. The presentinvention relates to a new and distinct perennial variety ofHardenbergia violacea, which has been given the variety denomination of‘HB2’. Its market class is PLT/226. ‘HB2’ is intended for use inlandscaping and as a decorative plant.

Parentage: The Hardenbergia violacea variety ‘HB2’ is the result of aselection process carried out at a commercial breeding facility inClarendon, New South Wales, Australia from 2011 to 2012. Said selectionprocess involved openly-pollinated seedlings of Hardenbergia violacea‘Mini Haha’ (unpatented), the seed parent, and Hardenbergia violacea(unpatented), believed to be the pollen parent. In the spring of 2011,‘Mini Haha’ and ‘HB1’ plants were grown in pairs, in 200 mm nurserypots, with one pot of each cultivar placed next to the other. Two suchpairs were grown simultaneously with approximately 100 meters separatingthem. Said pairs were allowed to openly pollinate and the resulting seedwas subsequently harvested from the ‘Mini Haha’ plants in early summerof that same year. Said seeds were then sown, with a small number offive seedlings germinating. Of the five seedlings, four expressed aphenotype that was the same or very similar to the seed parent plant. Bycontrast, the fifth seedling exhibited a denser, ball-shaped growthhabit, a smaller leaf, and a different leaf shape. This seedling wasisolated for further evaluation and confirmation of the stability of theinitially observed characteristics. The final selection was made afterflowering in 2012 and the new cultivar was given the denomination ‘HB2’.

Asexual Reproduction: ‘HB2’ was first propagated asexually by stemcuttings at the same commercial breeding facility in Clarendon, NewSouth Wales, Australia in 2012 and has since gone through fivesuccessive cycles of vegetative propagation. The distinctivecharacteristics of the inventive ‘HB2’ variety are stable fromgeneration to generation; plants of the variety produced by asexualreproduction maintain the distinguishing characteristics of the originalplant.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. The characteristics in combinationdistinguish ‘HB2’ as a distinct cultivar of Hardenbergia violacea.

-   -   1. ‘HB2’ exhibits a compact and very dense shrub growth habit;        and    -   2. ‘HB2’ exhibits a rotund, ball plant shape; and    -   3. ‘HB2’ exhibits a short plant height; and    -   4. ‘HB2’ exhibits an ovate leaf shape; and    -   5. ‘HB2’ exhibits a small leaf.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying FIGURE illustrates as true as is reasonably possible toobtain in color photographs of this type, an exemplary ‘HB2’ specimen,approximately 3 years of age, grown at a commercial breeding facility inClarendon, New South Wales, Australia.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed botanical description of a new and distinctvariety of a Hardenbergia violacea, known as ‘HB2’. Plant observationswere made on plants grown in Clarendon, New South Wales, Australia.Unless indicated otherwise, the descriptions disclosed herein are basedupon observations made from 3 year old field-grown plants. Plants weremaintained with granular slow release fertilizer and occasional,infrequent overhead irrigation. No pest and disease measures were taken.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain characteristicswill vary with older or, conversely, younger plants. ‘HB2’ has not beenobserved under all possible environmental conditions. Where dimensions,sizes, colors and other characteristics are given, it is to beunderstood that such characteristics are approximations or averages setforth as accurately as practicable. The phenotype of the variety mayvary with variations in the environment such as season, temperature,light intensity, day length, cultural conditions and the like. Colornotations are based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, TheRoyal Horticultural Society, London, 2001 edition. Note that genericcolor descriptions such as ‘purple’ do not exist in the R.H.S. chartsand the corresponding R.H.S. colors are quoted.

A botanical description of ‘HB2’ and comparisons with other varieties ofHardenbergia violacea are provided below.

-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant habit.—Rotund, shrub habit, free of any twining;            compact and dense.        -   Height.—500 mm.        -   Width.—300 mm.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 9 to 11.        -   Environmental tolerances.—Prefers full to filtered sun;            drought tolerant.        -   Pest and disease susceptibility or resistance.—In common            with the species, none of note.        -   Propagation.—Propagation is accomplished using softwood stem            cuttings. Roots well without rooting compound or hormone.        -   Time to develop roots.—4 to 5 weeks.        -   Crop time.—Approximately 10 weeks to produce a rooted            cutting; 8 months are needed to produce a 20-centimeter            container with plant in flower, starting from a rooted            cutting.-   Roots:    -   -   General description.—Tap root.-   Stem:    -   -   Branching and habit.—Strong basal and axillary branching            habit; freely branching. Branch attitude is semi-erect.        -   Number of stems.—Numerous; more than 30.        -   Stem strength.—Medium.        -   Cross-section.—Round.        -   Stem color, immature.—Closest to Greyed-Red Group 178A.        -   Stem color, mature.—Yellow-Green Group 146A.        -   Stem diameter.—1.6 mm, midway along mature stems.        -   Stem surface.—Mature stems are woody, hard and smooth.        -   Internode length.—11 mm, midway along mature stems.        -   Tendrils.—Absent.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Attachment.—Petiolato.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Apex.—Mucronate.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Dimensions.—33 mm long and 15.5 mm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Smooth and glabrous.        -   Color, juvenile foliage.—Adaxial surface — Greyed-Orange            Group 166A. Abaxial surface — Greyed-Orange Group 166A.        -   Color, mature foliage.—Adaxial surface — Green Group 139A.            Abaxial surface — Green Group 137A.        -   Venation.—Reticulate.        -   Vein color, adaxial surface.—Green Group 138B.        -   Vein color, abaxial surface.—Green Group 138C.        -   Petiole.—Approximately 10 mm long and 1 mm wide; color is            Green Group 138B.        -   Stipules.—Laminar; glabrous; color is Greyed-Red Group 178A;            glabrous; length is approximately 2.5 mm.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Numerous axillary racemes.        -   Natural flowering season.—In the northern hemisphere,            mid-February through April.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Up to 15 flowers on each inflorescence.        -   Dimensions.—55 mm long and 25 mm wide.        -   Peduncle.—Attitude — Erect. Dimensions — 30 mm long and 1.5            mm wide. Texture — Smooth and glabrous. Color — A            combination of Yellow-Green Group 146A and Greyed-Purple            187D.-   Bud:    -   -   Bud shape.—An oblong sphere with a falcate profile.        -   Bud dimensions.—Approximately 6 mm long and 3 mm wide.        -   Bud color.—Violet Group N88A.        -   Rate of bud opening.—Rapid.-   Flower:    -   -   General description.—Flower type — Complete; zygomorphic.            Flower shape — Papilionate. Aspect — Outward. Persistence —            Low. Fragrance — Non-fragrant.        -   Calyx.—General — Fused with five sepal lobes, forming a cup.            Sepals — Shape — Deltoid. Apex — Acute. Margins — Entire.            Length of sepal lobes 2.5 mm. Color, immature — Greyed-Green            Group 191A. Sepal texture — Slightly rough.        -   Corolla.—Petal — arrangement Typical pea type flower with a            standard petal, a wing petal and two keel petals; petals            fused. Dimensions — 12.5 mm across, at the widest point,            with a depth of 10 mm from base of the calyx to the apex of            the keep petals. Standard petal — Shape is rounded; margins            are entire. Color is Purple-Violet Group 84C. Markings            present near base of standard petal along midrib; color is            Yellow-Green Group 149A. Surfaces are matte and glabrous.            Winged petal — Shape is obovate; apex is broad and round;            base is acute; margins are undulate. Color of both surfaces            is Purple Group 82A. Surfaces are matte and glabrous. Keel            petal — Shape is falcate; apex is round; base is acute;            margins are entire. Color of both surfaces is Purple Group            82A. Surfaces are matte and glabrous.        -   Pedicel.—Dimensions — Approximately 5 mm long and 1 mm wide.            Texture — Smooth and glabrous. Color — Greyed-Purple Group            186D.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Stamens.—Quantity — 10. Filament — Diadelphous; color is            closest to Green-White Group 157D. Overall length is            approximately 4.5 mm long. Anther dimensions — Approximately            1.0 mm long by 0.75 mm wide. Anther color — A combination of            Yellow-Green Group 150C and 151 D.        -   Pollen.—Amount of pollen — Low. Pollen color — Green-White            Group 157D.        -   Pistil (if present).—Quantity — One. Dimensions — 5 mm long            and approximately 0.5 mm wide. Stigma — Green-White Group            157D. Style — Short; 1 to 2 mm long.        -   Ovary.—Superior; 25 mm long and 8 mm wide.-   Fruit and seed production:    -   -   Fruit.—Legume pod; approximately 25 mm long and 8 mm wide.        -   Seed.—Black Group 202A; hard; hard, approximately 2 to 3 mm            long; kidney shaped.-   Comparison with the parents: ‘HB2’ may be distinguished from its    seed parent and closest known commercial comparator, ‘Mini Haha’, by    the following combination of characteristics: 1. ‘HB2’ exhibits a    rotund growth habit, whereas ‘Mini Haha’ exhibits an erect growth    habit. 2. ‘HB2’ exhibits a small leaf, whereas ‘Mini Haha’ exhibits    a leaf of medium size for the genus. 3. ‘HB2’ exhibits an ovate leaf    shape, whereas ‘Mini Haha’ exhibits an oblong leaf shape. ‘HB2’ may    be distinguished from its pollen parent, ‘HB1’, by the following    combination of characteristics: 1. ‘HB2’ exhibits a short plant    height of approximately 50 cm tall, whereas ‘HB1’ can grow to    approximately 100 cm tall. 2. ‘HB2’ exhibits a general plant width    of approximately 30 cm, whereas ‘HB1’ exhibits a plant width of    60 cm. 3. ‘HB2’ exhibits small, ovate foliage whereas ‘HB1’ exhibits    larger, oblong foliage.

That which is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Hardenbergiaviolacea plant named ‘HB2’, substantially as described and illustratedherein.